Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-10-29

public. of the wrong involved ia q
absence of an international copyrigl
law. We prefer to put our demand Il
It upon this ground at once, because v
believe we shall never have such a Ia
till we appeal to tho common cor
science instead of the common interes
With the common conscience ii no,
distinctly rests. for. however literar
piracy grew up. in the days before tn
wrong had been duly considered, i
must now be owned that America
publishers. with but one or two excer
lions. are in favor of its suppression
They stand with American authors Il
this, and it is now the American natiol
that wilfully perpetnates an abus
which IN small way is morally wors,
than slavery in large way. Slaverl
compelled a mans labor. but it CAV,
him in return food. shelter. and cloth.
ing. such as they were; literary piracy
seizes the fruits of mans labor, and
gives him absolutely nothing in return.
There can be no question of the nature
Of the wrong. and no Justification Of it.
From time to time we hear that the
English also pirate American books.
out no one has the effcontery to urge
his in defence of our piracy of English
books; and every one knows that if the
English continued to pirate our books
Tor a hundred years the balance of
guilt would still be upon our side.
Moreover, every one knows that if we
enacted justice to the English author.
here would be an instant response ON
'he part Of England to our tardy re-
oaration; in fact, prior publication in
Great Britain already secures for the
American author the protection which
our law denies to the alien upon any
condition.
We confess we have not much SYM
oathy with the arguments of those who
prove that foreign books would be lust
IS cheap with copyright law, and that
We should somehow find our profit in
toing justice to English authors. No
ioubt we should. if honesty is the best
policy; but our people have no right to
cheap literature by defrauding the
author; they could have cheap silks and
cheap wines BY like simple process.
We are not to give over wrong-doing
because it is wrong; and we are not to
abandon literary piracy because it has
iisorganized the publishing business,
out because it is a fragrant injustice,
which no law. and no want of law, can
,hange in its essence.
Those who appeal to The motives of
ielf-interest in urging international
copyright are like the philanthropisss,
'f no great effect in their day and gen.
sration. who used to say that they did
1ot care for the slaves. but were OBJ
oosed to slavery because it was so ruin
'us to the masters. The masters smil-
I'd patiently under their burdens, and |
sept on holding slaves; and probably
he literary pirates. unless they are
by a compassionate statute,
will continue to bear their crushing
Dad without murmuring. But the
Voluntary pirates are no longer numer-
'us; they are very few; and this fact
makes their offence more distinctly /
lational sin, because the nation could
o easily suppress them. Some of us
nay seek to escape completely in the
in by refusing to buy the cheap pirat-
d editions of foreign books, as certain
ealots used to refrain from the sugar
nd cotton produced by slave labor.
Tut this privation had no perceptible
ifect upon the system of slavery,
nd for one just person who denies
imself ten-cent copy OF an English
ovel because it pays the author moth
lg, hundred of the wicked will buy
because it is a ten-cent copy.
1t is the slow conscience of these
undreds and hundred thousands that
re must reach before we can hope for
n international copyright law; and
% ought not to be discouraged be-
ause we are indefinitely remote from |
le desired end. After all, the Ameri-
an nation is not so wilfully as it is 1
,norantly guilty in this matter, The
reat mass of the people. even Of
lose who buy books. have not the ,
asst notion what p rated book is, or !
hat the sacred principle which il
1trages; they do not know what eopy-
ght is, international or otherwise
ut they can be told; and we venture
suggest to our good friends Of the r
International Copyright League that +
cy prepare very brief and very I
ain statement of the facts, such as h
9 wayfaring man, though fool, Q
ight not err in, to be printed in all 8
9 newspapers, and to be read in the q
urches throughout the country. We 9
ust that few editors or ministers \
ould refuse their aid to so good a 4
use. or would object to submit for y
gnatures in their offices and vestries /
petition to Congress for the passage q
an international copyright law. i
ne editor could readily illustrate the D.
SO by reference to some sketch or
Try reprinted in his paper from an
lglish magazine without compensa-
n to the author; and the minister u
aid instance pifated reprints in the 81
nday-school library in proof of the CO
'mefal wrong involved by the alb
ice Of such law. la
We urge little haste in the notion OF
, League heconsa ,baro IL. -. NJ